Core removing tool for automobile tire valves



C. W. KECK Aug. 17, 1954 CORE REMOVING TOOL FOR AUTOMOBILE TIRE VALVES Filed Sept. 6, 1949 INVENToR, Cac/7 14./ Kee/f VII/l Patented Aug. 17, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORE REMOVIN G TOOL FOR AUTOMOBILE TIRE VALVES Cecil W. Keck, Carterville, Mo. Application September 6, 1949, Serial No. 114,215

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in core removing tools for automobile tire valves, and has particular reference to the combination of a core removing tool with an ordinary tire pressure gauge of the piston type.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision, in combination with a tire gauge having a body member and a stem carried inv said body member and extendable therefrom responsively to air pressure introduced into said body member, of a tire valve core removing tool carried at the extending end of said gauge stem.

Another object is the provision of a core removing tool of the character described formed at the end of the stem of a tire pressure gauge and utilizing certain characteristics of said gauge stem in the operations of the core removing tool. These characteristics include free axial rotation of the gauge stem in the gauge body, extendability of the gauge stem from the gauge body independently of air pressure, and the noncircular cross-sectional shape of the gauge stem, whereby finger holds are provided for rotating said gauge stem about its axis.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, ease and convenience of operation, adaptability for use with one hand, and adaptability for use with various types of standard tire pressure gauges.

With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a tire pressure gauge including a core removing tool embodying the present invention, with the gauge in operativc relationship to a tire valve stem, shown fragmentarily.

Figure fi is an enlarged, foreshortened longitudinal mid-section taken through the device shown in Fig. l.

Figure 3 is an end view of the pressure gauge stem formed to present a core removing tool.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line .lV- IV of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line V-V of Figure 6 is a section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Figure 7 is a section taken Fig. 2.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary showing of the tire pressure gauge with the stem thereof extended to engage the core of a tire valve.

on line VII- VII of Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 8.

Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 2 applies to a tire pressure gauge having a hollow cylindrical body member i open at both ends. At one end said body member is provided with a head 6 threaded securely thereon and having an internal recess 8 formed therein communieating with the body member. Said recess is lled with a packing material lil of cotton or the like which is held in said recess by annular washers I2 disposed between head 5 and body member 4. Head 6 is also provided with an externally opening cylindrical recess lil with its axis disposed angularly to the axis of body inember 4i. The head is formed to present a cylindrical depressor IB disposed axially in recess i5, and said depressor has a passageway i3 formed therethrough communicating with recess 8. An annular washer 20 of soft rubber or the like is carried at the bottom of recess I i around depressor l. Thus when head is positioned over the end of the inner tube valve stem 22 as shown in Fig. l depressor i6 pushes the stem 25 of the valve core insert 25 inwardly allowing air from the inner tube to escape through valve stem 22. Washer E forms a sealing Contact with the outer end of stem 22. Air therefore passes through passageway I8, through packing IB, which filters foreign matter therefrom, and into body member 4.

Carried within cylindrical body member i is a piston 28, having a leather sealing disc 30, adapted to be advanced in body member d by air pressure entering through head 6. Extending forwardly from said piston coaxiaily with body member d, and forming a part of said piston is a screw 32 on the forward end of which is threaded a head Sli. A spring 35 disposed about screw 32 bears atone end against head Si and at its opposite end against piston 28. Said head abuts at its forward end against the rearward end of a gauge stem 36 which is disposed coaxially with body member 4 and is preferably squared in cross-section as shown. Said gauge stem is suiciently long to project outwardly from the forward end of body member l even when piston 28 is at the extreme rearward end of body member.

Gauge stem 36 is carried in a cylindrical sleeve SS which is carried rotatably in body member 4l at the forward end thereof, said sleeve having end walls M having squared holes #l2 formed therein for receiving stem 36 for longitudinal.

sliding movement. Sleeve 3S is prevented from moving longitudinally in body member 4 by its bearing at its forward end against a shoulder 44 formed in said body member, and at its rearward end against a ring 44 press fitted into said bodyr member'. A pair of leaf springs 4% carried in sleeve 33 bear frictionally against opposite sides of gauge stem 36. A helical spring d8 carried in body member il bears at its forward end against ring dll and at its rearward end against piston 28.

Thus when air enters body member i behind piston 2S, said piston and stem 3B will be moved forwardly, the distance depending on the pressure of the air and the modulus of spring 48. Indicia lines 50 are imprinted on the sides of stem 39 and are adapted to be read in conjunction with the forward end of sleeve 38. A pin 52, fixed transversely in stem 3B adjacent the rearward end thereof and projecting outwardly `from the sides thereof, is adapted to Contact the rearward end wall @il of sleeve 38 to limit the forward movement of stem 36. When head li is removed from inner tube stem 22, piston .28 is returned to the rearward end of body member d by spring d8, but gauge stem 3S is frietionally retained at its greatest extension by springs i5 until it is pushed inwardly manually.

The structure so far described is well known, and no claim is made thereto except in combination with the core removing adaptation thereof as hereinafter described. The portions 5e of gauge stem which extends forwardly from bodir member Il is rounded to a cylindrical shape having a diameter permitting it to be inserted longitudinally into inner tube valve stem 22, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. Gauge stem 3G is bored axially from its end to provide a recess 56 adapted to receive the stem 211 of valve core 26. Said valve core stem is customarily flattened adjacent its outer end to provide a transverse enlargement E8. Gauge stern 3G is slotted diametrically at its end as at Bil to receive enlargement 58 of the valve core stem, as shown in `Fig. 9, thus preventing relative rotation of the gauge stern and the valve core stem. Thus by turning the gauge stem manually, the valve core 26 may be inserted or removed from its operative position in inner tube stem 22.

The operation of the valve core removing tool utilizes several features of the pressure gauge itself. 'I'he separation of gauge stem 3-6 from piston 28 provides that the piston may be extended manually independently of air pressure behind the piston and without compressing spring 48. Thus the gauge stem may be extended to any distance most suitable for the operation of the core removing tool and will be frictionally retained at that point by springs 45. The free rotatability of gauge stem 36 provides that in the use of the core removing tool body member 4 may be grasped firmly with one hand by the operator, v

and gauge stem 3E rotated with the thumb and foreiinger of the same hand. The square or noncircular shape of stem 36 provides finger holds whereby the stem may be grasped and turned with sufficient force to insert or remove the valve core.

The tire valve core removing tool thus disclosed is simple, efficient, very convenient to use, and may be combined with a tire pressure gauge as described at a nominal expense. While a specic embodiment of my invention has been shown, it is apparent that many minor changes of construction and operation could be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. In a valve core removing tool, a body member, and a stem carried for axial rotation and free longitudinal sliding movement in said body member and adapted to be extended longitudinally therefrom, the outer end of said stem being axially bored and transversely slotted to engage operatively the valve core stem of an automobile tire valve.

2. In a valve core removing tool, a body member, a stem carried for axial rotation and free longitudinal sliding movement in said body member and adapted to be extended longitudinally therefrom, the outer end of said stem being axially bored and transversely slotted to engage operatively the valve core stem of an automobile tire valve, and the shank of said gauge stem being non-circular in cross-sections whereby to provide iingerholds for manually rotating said stem relative to said body member, and resilient members carried by said body member and bearing frictionally against said stem to retain it against accidental longitudinal movement.

3. A valve core removing tool comprising a tubular body member, a sleeve disposed axially within said body member for axial rotation therein but secured against longitudinal movement, a polygonal stem extending axially through said sleeve for longitudinal sliding movement therein, one end of said stem extending outwardly from said body member, the bore of said sleeve conforming to the polygonal contour of said stem to prevent rotation of said stem relative to said sleeve, and springs carried by said sleeve and engaging said stem to load said stem frictionally against longitudinal movement, the extended end of said stem being formed to engage operatively the valve core stem of an automobile tire valve.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,338,275 LOW Aug. 23, 1921 1,567,192 Richardson Dec. 29, 1925 1,630,976 Smith May 31, 1927 1,803,373 Wahl May 5, 1931 2,049,532 Williams Aug. ll, 1936 2,054,138 Sandell Sept. 15, 1936 2,417,360 Heintzelman Mar. 11, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 405,476 Great Britain Feb. 8, 1934 

